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Groundbreaking, probably. Screen breaking, definitely

June 21, 2018

Reach (Media)Silver: Oops!Agencies: Havas Media LondonClient: O2

Smartphones are great, aren't they? Until that painful moment when you drop it and – smash! – your screen is an unusable spiderweb of shattered glass. This is the insight that led UK agency Havas Media London and Spanish group Telefónica's O2 brand to realise in that moment of clumsiness was a business, PR, advertising and media opportunity.

The business idea was simple, but one that would distinguish O2 from its rivals: free screen replacement on the latest phones, something no one else in the UK market was offering.

"Oops!" became the campaign slogan that ran across multiple media platforms, from a TV ad showing people experiencing "Oops" moments, to print and digital commercials… all powerful stuff.

But it was out-of-home where "Oops" really shone. Billboards apparently unhinged and collapsed to the ground, their screens shattered, smartphones tumbling down digital screens alongside London Underground escalators, and O2 stores fitted with 'smashed' windows that appeared to repair themselves as people walked by. These are just some examples of where the media became the message.

And it’s a message that consumers listened to. A campaign about literally smashed screens, figuratively smashed targets. People on social responded with their own "Oops" moments and for O2 the campaign drove 70% of period sales and sent incremental revenue up £17m ($23m) year-on-year.